rockwell



(No Model.)

L. A. ROCKWELL 8v WyA. HULL.

GRAGKBR CUTTER.

Patented May 1,1894.-

'NITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

LUOIUS A. ROCKWELL AND WOLCOTT A. HULL, on NEW YORK, N. v.5 SAID ROCKWELL ASSIGNOR TO FOWLER &; ROCKWELL, OF SAME PLACE.

CRACKER-CUTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 519,293, dated May 1, 1894. Application filed February 18, 1892. Renewed .January 17, 1894- Serial No. 497 199. (N0 model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.- I

Be it known that we, LUoIUs A. RooKwELL and WOLOOTT A. HULL, both of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Cracker-O utters, of which the following is a specification.

Our improvement relates to devices for forming crackers commonly termed in the trade cracker cutters, but it is also applicable to other purposes. I

- We will describe a cracker cutter embodying our improvement and then-point out the novel features in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of parts of a cracker cutter embodying our improvement. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the upper side of a portion of the bottom of an air box comprised in the machine. Fig. 3 is a central vertical section of one of the cutters or formers and its appurtenances on an enlarged scale. Fig. 4 is a top view of the parts shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a bottom View thereof.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

A designates a cross-head such as is used in an ordinary cracker cutter. Itis intended to be fitted in guides to reciprocate verti cally. Links pivotally connected to cylindric ends a of the cross-head serve to impart to it the desired reciprocations.

B designates a bar fitted to arms Of G de.

pending from the cross-head A. This bar B or the lower portions of the arms 0 (3 will be guided to reciprocate vertically with the bar A. The bar Bis fastened to the arms 0' O in any suitable manner.

E designates cutters or formers combined with the bar B. These cutters or formers are intendedjto receive compressed air or other gas at certain stages of their operation, and owing to this, the barB is made in the form of an air box for supplying air to said outters or formers. Air-may be supplied to the bar B by a flexible pipe, F.

It is advantageous to make the bottom of the bar B or air box detachable from the main part, hence it is secured in place by screws or bolts 8. When thus constructed and fastened in place, it may be removed for the .ter projecting to form the rim e.

purpose of removing all the cutters or formers at one time andanother bottom plate having diiferent cutters or formers attached to it canbe readily substituted for it.

Before describing in detail the cutters or formers we will explain the stripper, G. This consists of a plate provided with openings suitable for fitting snugly around the exterior of the cutters or formers E. It is carried by the bar B. As here shown, rods 9 extend from it through holes in the bar B. These rods have heads which prevent them from slipping through the holes of the bar B within which they work Springs 9 surrounding these rods between the stripper G and the bar B press the stripper downward. Owing to the downward movement of the bar B, when the stripper G contacts with the dough upon a table or platform arranged beneath it and beneath the cutters or formers, E, the

B begins to rise,but will have its upward.

movement delayed until the bar B has risen far enough to allow the springs to expand to their full extent, after which it will partake of the rising movement of the said bar. These springs g may be omitted and the gravity of the stripper relied on to effect the same result. The cutters E may be of the same construction. As here shown, each consists of a shell e of rectangular form having a scalloped rim 6' and an ornamented bottom plate e This bottom plate 6 is represented as being made separately from the shell and inserted within the same a short distance above the lower edge of the shell, so as to leave the lat- Screws passed transversely through the shelland inserted in the tapped holes in the edges of the plate e securethe latter in place. The rim e is sharp at the lower extremity and forms the cutting or defining edge of the cutter. The scalloped configuration of the rim e gives an ornamental outline to a cracker and the ornamental under side of the plate 6 produces an ornamental surface at the top of": the

cracker. The shell e has an inwardly extending portion 6 and above the latter a tubular portion e Both these parts may be formed integral with the lower or main portion of the shell e. The upper tubular portion 6 may advantageously be made of cylindric form. The upper portion 6 of the shell e fits into a corresponding shell e in such manner that there may be a relative vertical movement between'the two shells. Either of its contiguous portions may be made in the form of a stuffing box. The shell 6 is open at the bottom, but has a top extending across the upper part e of the shell 6. Lugs e extend from the shell 6 and through these lugs pass rods e here shown as consisting of screws which, after passing through said lugs engage with tapped holes in the inwardly extending portion a of the shell 6. Springs e surround the screws 6 between their heads and the lugs e wing to this connection of the shell 6 with the shell 6 provision is afforded for an independently vertical movement of one shell relatively to the other, while the two are still securely united. The shell e is fastened by screws c with the bottom of the bar or air box B.

.These screws pass through the bottom of the bar or air box from the upper side and engage with holes 6 formed in the top of the shell e Within the shell e above the bottom plate e is a plate 6 In this plate s are numerous perforations through which air may pass to the upper surface of the bottom plate e Openings 6 are formed in the bottom plate e and the plate 6 is provided on its under side with projections e which are capable of fitting these openings 6 The openings e and the projections e are shown as downwardly tapering, so that a tight fit may be formed between them. In effect, the projections constitute valves and the openings e valve seats. On the under side, the projections 6 will be ornamented to correspond with the ornamentation on the under side of the bottom plate e A shank 6 extends up wardly from the plate e into the tubular part 6 of the shell e, and at its upper extremity is secured to the top of the shell 6 As here shown, a screw 6 secures the shank to the shell 6 and this screw passes through a block or post 6 placed above the top of the shell 6 also through the top of the shell e and engages with atapped hole in the upper extremity of the shank e of the plate a. Obviously, owing to the connection of the plate 6 with the shell 6 a relative vertical movement between the shells e and e will separate the plate e from the plate 6 and cause the valve e and valve seat 8 to separate. When this occurs, air will be capable of passing from the shell e through its bottom plate 6 for the purpose of detaching a cracker from the cutter or former. Within the tubular part c of the shell e is arranged a plate a. As here shown, this plate is made in the form of a tubular hub fitting the shank e of the plate a. Perforations formed in this plate permit of the passage of air through it. Pins 6 extend upwardly from this plate through holes 6 in the top of the shell e Above the top of the shell e a valve e is fitted to slide vertically upon the post e The pins e normally hold the valve e from its seat and will raise it from its seat at the proper time after it shall have closed the openings e of the shell e A spring 6 surrounds the shank e of the plate a between this plate and the plate a, forcing the latter upward as far as it can move. Dough having been placed upon a table or platform beneath the cutters, the cross-head A is reciprocated downward carrying with it the bar or air box B, the cutters E and the stripper G. As soon as the stripper contacts with the dough, itsmotion will be arrested, but, owing to the yielding connection which it has with the bar 13, the latter will be able to continue its motion. The continual downward motion of the barB will force the edges of the cutters E through the dough. and the bar B will come to rest. Air is now admitted to the bar or air box B by means of any suitable valve operated by hand or antomatically, and flows through the openings 6 of the shell e into the upper tubular part c of the shell e,/through the plate a", into the lower part of the shell e, into the perforations of the plate 6 and to the upper surface of the plate e When the reciprocation of the cross-head A is reversed so as to cause the latter to move upward, the arms 0 C will be carried upward until the springs intermediate of it and the bar or air box B'shall have fully expanded, after which the barB begins to rise. When the bar rises, it will carry upward the shells a of the cutters E, but, owing to the air pressure upon the bottom plates e of the shells e of the cutters, said shells e will be held down in the positions which they occupy. As the plates 6 and valves e will be caused to rise by the upward movement of the shells a air will be admitted to pass through'the valve seats or openings 6 in the plates 0 and will detach the crackers from the cutters or formers. The flow of air will be cut oft because it will affect the closing of the valves 6 Air will, therefore, only be supplied momentarily. The air left in the air box may be allowed to escape so as to relieve the valve 6 by means of a valve e controlling an opening to the atmosphere and having its rod projecting outwardly to be operated by a cam on-the upward movement of the air box. When the valves e are re lieved from pressure, the pins e will lift them from the tops of the shells a. After the rising of the shells e far enough to allow the escape of air through the bottom e of the shell 6, the latter will no longer be held downwardly, but will begin to rise, and, owing to the springs a they will then be raised as far as possible within the shells e whereupon the valves 6 will again close the openings 6 of This having happened, the cutters the bottom plates 6 of the shell 6. The parts will then be ready to repeat the operations described. What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isp 1. The combination of a cutter or former having two telescopic sections, one provided with an opening and the other provided with a valve and a reciprocating bar to which one of said sections is connected, substantially as specified. p

2. The combination of a cutter or former having two telescopic sections, one provided with an opening and the other provided with a valve, a reciprocating bar to which one of said sections is connected and springs for producing such relative adjustment between the two sections as to cause the said valve to close the said opening, substantially asspecified.

3. The combination of an air'box and a cutter composed of two telescopic sections, one having a valve and the otheran opening and one of said sections having an opening communicating with the air box, substantially as specified.

4. The combination with a reciprocating bar, of a cutter or former having two telescopic sections provided respectively with an opening and a valve, and one of which isat- ,tachedto the reciprocating bar and a valve 6. In. a cutter or former, two telescopic shells one providedwith a valve and the other with a valve opening and combined so that upon the expansion of the shells, the valve will open and upon the contraction of the shells the valve will close, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof we have signed our namesto this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LUCIUS A. ROCKWELL. WOLOOTT A. HULL.

Witnesses:

S. O. EDMoNDs, WM. M. ILIFF. 

